


Humanitarian mojitos

by diner_drama



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, M/M, Softball, meet cute, twitter war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23526982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diner_drama/pseuds/diner_drama
Summary: Bucky Barnes knows full well not to mix Twitter and alcohol, but when his dumbass roommate Clint makes mojitos and points him towards Captain America's takedown-via-tweet of President Ross' foreign policy, what's he supposed to do?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 38
Kudos: 500
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020





	Humanitarian mojitos

**Author's Note:**

> For Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020 prompt U5: Twitter war

Bucky Barnes knows full well not to mix Twitter and alcohol, but when his dumbass roommate Clint makes mojitos and points him towards Captain America's takedown-via-tweet of President Ross' foreign policy, what's he supposed to do?

It wasn't until the next morning when he woke up upside down half-on, half-off his couch with his phone pinging violently with notifications that he began to groggily recollect his actions from the night before. He brought himself to sit upright, groaning as the room spun around him, thudding into the side of his brain. Clint made a small noise of displeasure from where he was curled in the fetal position on the floor, spooning a bottle of rum, dressed for some reason in one sock and two pairs of boxers.

Bucky swiped at his phone until it unlocked and came face-to-face with the tweets that had started his internet adventure.

**@therealsteverogers:** The president's strategy of aggressive intervention in the Middle East does nothing but inflame tensions in an already fragile region and subject the population - who are already traumatized by decades of unrest - to yet more violence and uncertainty. 1/

**@therealsteverogers:** The US budget for humanitarian aid is less than 7% the size of the cost of our military even though the biggest threats to world security are the human consequences of war, inequality, and climate change. Even from a standpoint of pure national self-interest 2/

**@therealsteverogers:** dealing with the global refugee crisis should be a priority. There are human beings in concentration camps, right now, and we're just letting it happen. The president needs to divert resources into humanitarian aid to prevent human suffering and increased radicalization. 3/

Bucky nodded as he re-read the messages, not actually disagreeing with any of good ol' Cap's points. Then he read his response and buried his head in his hands.

**@borkybarnes:** big talk from a symbolic figurehead for the military-industrial complex. You feel so strongly about it, why do you keep propping up a corrupt system? No matter how well you fill out that suit you're still a hypocrite.

**@therealsteverogers:** I believe that the US military has the potential to be a meaningful force for good, and using my position I've successfully argued for increased funding for veteran welfare. I'm still working on it but I believe I can help.

**@borkybarnes:** I'm a veteran pal and you've never done a thing for me

**@iamironman:** get a room, you two

The source of most of the notifications on his phone were random strangers weighing in on the argument. Some people were mad with him for disrespecting a national icon, but some people were agreeing with him - usually for the wrong reasons. 

"Hey thanks for your service but Captain America is a HERO and I hope you DIE."

"Captain Assmerica is a SJW hypocrite"

"Without Steve Rogers' sacrifice you'd be speaking German."

"American money should be for AMERICANS not for a bunch of-" (what followed was a string of racist language that Bucky didn't much want to think about)

With a sigh, Bucky flicked through and discarded most of the messages, before he noticed that he had a direct message.

**@therealsteverogers:** Hi, I hope it's OK to message you privately, but I wanted to thank you for your service and ask if there's anything I can do to help. I know first-hand that life after the military isn't easy and I really do want to make life better for veterans.

Bucky's heart just about stopped. Was this guy for real? Bucky acts like an ass on social media and instead of ignoring him like a _normal_ person or giving him a piece of his mind, Captain America wanted to check if _he_ needed help? What the star-spangled _fuck_. 

**@borkybarnes:** oh man I'm so sorry

**@borkybarnes:** never mix Twitter and alcohol

**@borkybarnes:** I don't actually disagree with any of your points about the humanitarian situation globally

**@borkybarnes:** drunk me just really hates the US military apparently

**@therealsteverogers:** You're not wrong. I feel deeply conflicted about my role in legitimizing our country's imperialist actions abroad. 

**@therealsteverogers:** If I were any other vet right now I'd probably hate me too.

**@borkybarnes:** I don't hate you, Captain.

**@therealsteverogers:** Please, call me Steve. What's your name?

**@borkybarnes:** Sgt. James Buchanan Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky

**@therealsteverogers:** Well I'm real glad to hear that, Bucky. How're you finding civilian life?

**@borkybarnes:** Actually pretty good, got a good support group down at the VA and a bunch of the guys I served with live in my building.

**@borkybarnes:** If you really wanna help out I'm running a charity softball game with my buddies for the local VA on Saturday. I can send you the details if you like.

**@therealsteverogers:** Wouldn't miss it for the world.

* * *

After their conversation, Bucky didn't give much thought to the idea that Steve would actually show up - I mean, he's _Captain America_ , he probably has way better ways to spend his Saturday afternoon than playing softball with a bunch of Bucky's asshole friends.

"Hey, Borky!" yelled Morita from across the pitch, proving his point. "Did you order some extra meat for the barbecue?"

"No," called Bucky, concentrating on counting out the bats.

"Are you sure? Because there's about 200 pounds of prime American beef headed your way."

"What?" Bucky turned around, shading his eyes from the sun, and was rewarded with the sight of Steve walking along the grass towards him, haloed in light like the angelic creature he was. "Oh."

"Hey Bucky," said Steve on reaching him, pulling him in for an unexpected hug. He smelled like summer, freshly mowed grass and clean air. "Thanks so much for inviting me."

"Sure, no problem," said Bucky, caught off guard by the wave of sheer earnestness being emitted by Steve's genuine smile. 

"Can I help you set up?"

"We're pretty much done, but you can grab this box and go give it to Dugan - he's the one with the preposterous mustache."

Steve grinned and hefted the heavy box onto his shoulder as though it weighed nothing. Bucky made a tiny noise in the back of his throat and turned away before he embarrassed himself, but not before he saw the muscular swell of Steve's ass shifting inside his tight leggings as he walked away.

"You ready, Sarge?" called Gabe from over by the bleachers, which had filled up with a gratifying number of spectators. "It's time to start."

"I'm on Bucky's team!" yelled Steve brightly, waving like a dork.

* * *

As the sun was setting over the field, after they had cleared up from the game and stacked the equipment ready to load into the van, Morita dragged out a cooler full of beer from somewhere and they sprawled out over the grass together, basking in the rapidly cooling summer air.

"That was the most fun I've had in a long time," announced Steve, still beaming as energetically as he had been four hours ago.

"Eh," said Gabe listlessly, slumping against a box of plastic cups. "Last year's was better."

"You are just saying that because you lost," sniffed Dernier.

"We would have won if Sarge could have stopped staring at Cap's ass for five- ow!" yelped Dugan as Bucky kicked him in the shin.

"Don't be disrespectful, Dum Dum," frowned Bucky. "That's America's ass."

"Pleased to be of service," said Steve in his Captain America voice, before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

Bucky looked at him out of the corner of his eye as he took a sip, looking flushed, happy and relaxed as he lay propped up on one elbow on the dusty ground. The rest of his unit exchanged significant looks with each other before jumping up as one man and each picking up a box.

"You've done enough for one day, Sarge," said Morita, waving him off as he moved to get up. "Cap, you can keep an eye on him and make sure he relaxes, can't you?" he asked pointedly.

Steve sketched out a lazy salute. "I can tackle him to the ground if necessary," he said unhelpfully. Bucky spent a moment thinking that being tackled by Steve might be quite nice before conceding and waving off his friends, relaxing back down to lie next to Steve.

"So, tell me," said Steve, handing him another beer. Bucky's breath hitched when their fingers brushed over the neck of the bottle. "What do you do to relax?"

* * *

 **@therealsteverogers:** I'm pleased to announce the opening of a new service for homeless vets in Brooklyn, thanks to funds raised by Sgt. James Buchanan Barnes and the Howling Commandos. I will be personally cutting the ribbon on the new building next week.

**@borkybarnes:** oh they let you use scissors now, pretty boy?

**@iamironman:** Did it work?? Are they married?? 


End file.
